EPT Monte Carlo: Level 23 Live Action

Players have re-started at the 10,000/20,000/2,000 level. If you're following the action throughout the day you can press refresh for the latest news which will appear at the top of each post. You can also keep tabs on the latest chip counts here. Winner information is available here.

1:15am--In an unexpected decision, play has been halted with ten players remaining. The lateness of the hour has forced the final ten to come back tomorrow. The plan as it stands it for the remaining players to come back at 1pm Thursday and play on two tables of five. Once play gets nine-handed, everyone will sit together and play until one more runner is eliminated. Then, the official televised final table will start. It's been about year since this last happened. Sometimes the clock just gets in the way. We'll be back with a wrap-up of the day in just a bit.

1:05am--Joe Hachem has been eliminated in 11th place. Joe had been bleeding chips for some time as nothing seemed to go his way. In a battle of the blinds, the money went in on a T43 flop. Joe showed Td6s and his opponent Isaac Baron turned over TsJd. Joe needed a 6 to stay alive. Instead a 5 and and ace fell, ending Joes tournament in 11th place.

12.55am -- Robin Keston's day is complete, a greased ride from chip leader to 12th place when he moved all in with pocket sixes, and was called by Antonio Esfandiari holding pocket jacks. A third jack sealed the deal and Keston is out. 11 players remain.

12.50am -- After a long session where a raise would win early in the game, this hand went to showdown on the TV table. Antonio Esfandiari raised to 60k under the gun and got a call from chip leader Glen Chorny in the cut off. They saw a Ts Jh Qs flop and Antonio checked before Glen bet 180k.

Antonio gave it some thought and called for a turn Jd, which brought a 180k bet by Glen and a delayed call by Antonio. The 5s fell on the river and Glen responded with a bet of 450k. Antonio thought for a long time as he counted down his stack, confirming that Glen had him well covered. Finally a clock was called. Before the minute expired Antonio made the call. Glen showed QQ for the second nut hand. Antonio mucked his cards without showing.

12:46am--Lull in the action since the last big pots. Here are a couple of video blogs to keep you occupied until the action picks up again.

12.36am -- There are no small hands anymore, only big ones. With the board reading 6c Qd Ac Kd there's already several hundred thousand in the pot that's developed between Henrik Gwinner and Team PokerStars Pro Luca Pagano. Luca had made it 90K and was waiting for a response from Henrik. That response was to move all in for a couple of hundred thousand more.

An agonizing decision followed for Luca who may or may not have heard Henrik ask him if he had the straight? Either way, after adding it all up Luca couldn't call, and mucked his cards. "King-queen?" he asked, but Henrik didn't hear.

12:25am--In one of the biggest pots yet, Henrik Gwinner came in for a raise and PokerStars qualifier Michael Martin called. Stig Top-Rasmussen re-raised from the big blind for an additional 190,000. Again, Martin called. The flop came out J92 and Rasmussen almost immediately pushed in. The only thing faster was Martin's call for his entire stack--516,000 more. Rasmussen shows pocket sevens to Martin's slow-played pocket aces. The board bricks out and Martin wins a massive pot, totalling around 1.5 million.

12.15am -- Michael Martin, sitting with several hundred grand, by no means the short stack, moves all-in. Staring him down from the standing position at the end of the table is Stig Top Rasmussen pondering the call. It's a lengthy process but one that ends with Stig folding pocket nines. Michael takes back his chips.

11:53pm--Vincent Secher was this event's Cinderella story. Stuck without a hotel room, he slept in a tent for the first half of the tournament. PokerStars bought him a room last night and he slept so well, he showed up today in his bathrobe and slippers. "For luck!" he said earlier. Just before this level, he told us he needed a double-up. He had his best chance, getting all in with AK vs. Denes Kalo's A8. An eight on the flop and no forthcoming help out Secher out in 13th place.

11:40pm --The last SuperNova Elite standing was Thomas Boekhoff. He was the short stack at the TV table and pushed all in from the big blind with 77 after Antonio Esfandiari raised from the cut off seat. Antonio quickly called and showed AJ. The flop of A88 left Thomas drawing to two outs. No seven fell and Thomas exits the event in 14th place for a 76,000 Euro payday.

11:32pm--Players are returning from break. A small chip tower collapse and some TV preps will slightly delay the start.